Aicaya
by Curryfury13
Summary: On a remote seaside town of Dorhaven lives a trio of siblings. Unspoken thoughts and feelings drift them apart, making things more rigid than the icy weather that swirls over the desolate beach. They know nothing about the outside world, or the world beneath the waves. But then when a creature from below washes ashore, they start to learn more about the world beyond their shores.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Warm hues of orange and reds swirled in the sky as the sun was beginning to set. A golden glow cast over the town of Dorhaven, the once bustling streets nearly emptied as all the shops were closing up for the day; spare for the local pub that thrived for the night hours to share laughter and local music throughout the evening for all the sailors coming in for a warm meal. A certain floral shop was right around the corner from the popular pub, and often heard the echoes of the music resonating through their walls as the owners organized after a long day of work.

One of the owners was a young man, barely the age of seventeen. His silver hair reached past his shoulders, tied back while he swept the long aisles between the colorful array of flowers. He paused beside the window, leaning against the wood of the broom as he gazed outside. His bright, aqua eyes spotted the ocean in the distance, shimmering against the horizon as the sun set beyond it.

"Riku," a low voice caused him to tense as he looked over to see his older brother eyeing him with a stern glower in his gaze. "Have you finished?"

Riku let out a breath, giving one last look out the window before he went back to his work. "I was just taking a second to rest. I'm almost done." His voice was short, barely hiding the irritation.

"They'll be time to rest after we lock the door." His brother reminded him, making Riku's hands tighten around the broom.

"Yeah, yeah," Riku muttered, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Sephiroth," Riku's younger sister opened the back door that led to the back garden. Her golden blonde hair was braided over her shoulder, complementing the soft blue of her eyes as she looked between her brothers, before focusing on the oldest. "I finished taking inventory, and… I believe we're missing a few tomatoes."

Sephiroth held out his hand, having no reaction as his sister handed him the clipboard of information. "Thank you, Namine." He simply replied, turning and heading to the back garden without another word.

Riku let out a breath of relief once the door closed behind him, leaning the broom against the wall and crossing his arms. "You think those kids are stealing again?"

"It's possible," Namine sighed, clasping her hands in front of her faded green apron. "I also spotted a rabbit, so it's possible the animals are eating them."

A soft hum was all that Riku gave in reply as he moved to put away the broom. His eyes remained downcast, his lips curved into a frown as he walked. He could feel Namine's gaze on him, even as he shut and locked the storage closet.

"What?" He asked, barely glancing over his shoulder at her.

She looked away, her fingers fidgeting as she went over to a bouquet of lilies. "It's nothing… I just realized something."

Riku waited for her to clarify, but when she didn't he turned around to face her, leaning back against the door with his arms crossed. "Realized what?"

Her thin brows furrowed as she almost seemed to wonder if it was worth saying. "I realized I haven't seen you smile since-" she paused, her voice quieting down to a near whisper "well, before mom and dad left."

A tightness gripped Riku's chest from the mention, but he didn't let it show any effect on his face as he merely blinked, looking towards the shimmering ocean through the window. "Yeah…" He muttered, a melancholy silence rising between them. Clearing his throat, he pushed himself off the door and went to the front desk to grab a ring of keys. "I'm going to head back home."

Namine darted her eyes to him, before she slowly nodded. "It's your turn for dinner tonight, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, might as well get started." He stuffed the keys in his pocket before he pulled off the dulled green apron and hung it over the metal hook beside the entrance. "See you at home, Nams."

"Be safe." She smiled as he glanced back at her, raising her hand with a small wave.

A golden bell chimed as he opened the glass paned door, sending her a wave in return before he was gone. Cool night wind brushed past him the moment he was outside, carrying the sweet scents of the garden surrounding the shop. Riku paused at the picket fence, scanning his eyes over the vines and plants nearly covering the familiar shop. Even with all the warm, inviting colors, it was empty. It was as if the plants themselves knew that their original caretaker was gone. Or perhaps Riku was simply imagining it as a sort of unspoken companionship that he wasn't the only one that felt how desolate the shop was.

Darting his eyes away, he turned and pushed open the gate, allowing it to swing closed behind him. His hands dug into his pockets, shielding themselves from the breeze that grew colder by the second. It was always cold in Dorhaven. One would think that living beside an ocean would bring warmth, instead, it brought harsh winds, storms, and chills that would make even the largest fires seemingly useless against them.

Riku hated the cold. He hated the way it caused him to shiver, how there were never enough clothes or blankets to shield himself from the frigid wind. Just once, he wished he could feel the true warmth of the sun.

The rolling sound of waves crashing against the shore brought him out of his thoughts. He had left the marketplace behind, only the endless ocean and sand before him. There was a shorter path back to his home if he were to cut through the alleyways and behind shops as his older brother often instructed him to do, but there was something about the ocean that calmed him. Walking along the shore, it was the only time where he could think freely, allowing his mind to wander and recall all the stories he heard from sailors when he'd make deliveries to the local pub.

There was so much out there. Stories untold and adventures just waiting to be discovered. Someday… Perhaps someday he'd get to find them for himself. The hopes of that had been much higher when his parents were still around. Ever since they had left on their boat and never returned all those months ago… the reality settled in that Riku might never get that chance.

He swallowed hard, pushing away the reminder of reality as he walked along the shore, stopping shortly to slip off his shoes and feel the sand between his toes. The foam of the waves lapped against his feet, tiny, shimmering shells being left in the dampened sand as the water receded for another wave. Riku bent over and picked up a chipped sand dollar, looking it over before slipping it into his pocket to later add to his and Namine's growing collection along the windowsill in their shared room.

The last few rays of sunlight peeked over the ocean's horizon, the warm hues of sunset darkening as the glistening stars became visible in the sky. Riku looked up at them, watching as more and more of them appeared, before a sudden splash of water grabbed his attention.

He looked forward, seeing the abandoned pier not far off. Splintered pieces of wood and fishing nets riddled the once lively walkway over the ocean. It was a sight Riku saw almost daily, and occasionally would spend time under it to get some time to himself. This time though… there was something, or someone, underneath it instead.

His eyes narrowed, the figure shadowed under the pier, but was no doubt struggling as they writhed and wriggled against the sandy rocks.

"H-Hey!" He called out, quickening his pace, "Hey, are you alright?"

Whatever it was that was under the pier whimpered something in reply, the voice and words unfamiliar to Riku, but he didn't stop as he broke into a run.

"Hold on! I'm almost there," he assured them, sprinting and nearly slipping in the sand.

As he neared the rocks beside the pier, he slowed to climb over, finally able to take in details about the stranger. Their brown hair was spiked, tangled with seaweed and plants from the sea, yet it almost seemed to be a part of them, rather than a mess. Widened, brilliant blue eyes stared back at him, an unnatural glow in them that kept Riku from being able to look away. His mouth hung open in shock, before he shook his head, breaking the spell and noticing the translucent fins fluttering nervously along its pale neck and arms.

Whoever they were, they weren't human.

His eyes drifted further down their pale body, silver and blue scales catching his eyes. They were scattered across the creature's torso and chest, before forming a long, graceful tail that was wrapped up and caught in a fisherman's trap.

Closing his mouth, he swallowed to coat his dry throat. "I-I'm not going to hurt you," he assured them, his voice shaking until he cleared his throat. "Just trying to get you out.

He brought his gaze back to the creature's, his breath catching at the blue of their eyes once again enticing him to get lost in them. His heart throbbed in his chest, feeling exposed and entranced by the full, innocent look in their eyes. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the creature had him under some sort of spell.

Shutting his eyes, he looked away before reopening and focusing on climbing over the rocks to get to the creature's level. It scrambled as he came closer, sand and small rocks flying in the air until Riku reached their side. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife that he often used in the shop to cut the stems of bouquets. Never in his life did he think he would use it to set a Siren free.

That's what he assumed it was, anyways. A half fish, half human creature that had the voice of an angel. Only there to entice weak men and drag them into the sea. Riku glanced back at them, the Siren's eyes worriedly darting every which way as they whimpered and desperately tried to shake free from the trap. Whoever they were, they didn't seem as if they would even consider dragging Riku to the bottom of the sea. Something told Riku there wasn't a malicious bone in their body.

He drew his gaze to the tail. Thick, braided rope was tangled in its long, translucent tail fins, tightening with every whip of their tail and rubbing against the scales. Riku grabbed the rope, yelping as he stumbled forward from the Siren's resistance.

"It's okay!" He spoke firmly, wrapping his arms around their tail to keep himself steady, his eyes focused back on theirs. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you… I promise. Alright?"

The Siren blinked rapidly, their shoulders slumping as they looked at the rope and metal trap tangled in their tail. Taking in a breath, they looked away, a soft whimper coming up their throat that made Riku's heart sink.

"Try to stay calm." Riku spoke softly, repeating the same words in his mind like a mantra as he went to sawing away at the rope.

As he worked, he allowed his eyes to drift over the tail of the creature. It was an array of blues and silvers, glittering with each subtle movement. The fins were long and graceful, the slightest bit translucent, just enough to capture the moon's rays as if they were made of stained glass.

His admiration was cut short as the rope snapped. He barely jumped back in time as the Siren scrambled back, splashing back into the sea and leaving the thinnest trail of dark blue liquid that dispersed in the water. Riku let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, covered in sand and salty water with a severed rope in his lap. He certainly would have looked odd to any onlooker, but he instead sat there in shock, questioning if he really had just seen the creature at all.

He didn't have to question long as violent splashing shook him out of his daze. Looking up, he saw the Siren flopping and whipping its tail, unable to gain the momentum to head further out to sea. Their arms swung wildly, finally clinging to a large rock jutting out of the ocean, crying out to the horizon, as if trying to call someone to them. The language was unfamiliar to Riku, but calmed his racing heart with how beautiful it sounded. It rang like a bell, flowed with the eloquence and melody of a song long forgotten. Even with the desperation in their voice, Riku couldn't help the fleeting thought of how he could listen to them speak for a lifetime.

Shaking his head, he darted his eyes back towards the town, noticing windows illuminating with light as the townsfolk heard the voice. He whipped his attention back to the Siren. If anyone caught sight of them - particularly the fishermen or the rare pirate… Well, Riku didn't want to imagine what they'd do to them.

"Hey, Hey!" Riku called out to them, scrambling forward and wading through the waves towards them. "You're going to get yourself caught!"

The Siren disregarded his words, as if they didn't understand anything he was saying. Riku whipped his head around when he heard clamoring from the town, people beginning to gather along the edge of their homes, moments away from seeing the creature. Darting his gaze between the town and the Siren, he jumped forward, wrapping his arms around the creature and falling back. The Siren wriggled and writhed in his arms, its tail thrashing wildly, as Riku was shoved under the water. He gasped as he forced them up for air, pulling the Siren back to the cover of the pier.

The Siren struggled in his arms, until Riku plopped them back on the rocky sand. A slew of words slipped out of it, its eyes widened with fright until Riku put his hand over their mouth, muffling their voice. He put a finger to his lips, his eyes locked with the Siren. Riku could feel their pounding heart, matching the racing pace of his own. Both of their chests heaved, the Siren taking deep breaths as their tail went limp. Their widened eyes danced over Riku, softening with an understanding as they nodded their head. Riku breathed out in relief, the softest smile curving his lips as he removed his hand from their mouth.

The thud of footsteps against the pier above them caused both of them to look up. Riku could hear the murmuring of the villagers, each of them asking the other if they had actually seen anything and what they had heard. As they discussed it, Riku drifted his gaze back to the creature. There was something about them, something that shifted a part of Riku's heart, even though he couldn't begin to explain what it was. He didn't know anything about them… but he knew that he had to protect them.

Their eyes met when the Siren brought their gaze back down from the pier as the townsfolk gave up their search and returned to their homes. Riku breathed out, his heart still pounding, even as the threat of potential danger had passed. The creature's head tilted just a little to the side, then to the other, studying Riku as he stared back at them.

Riku swallowed, feeling himself getting lost in their eyes again. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze, trying to make sense of what he had just done. He could have walked away, ignored the creature's pleas. According to the local fishermen, Sirens were predatory creatures, cursed and filled with darkness. Looking at this one though, Riku couldn't imagine that tall tale being true. Letting out a shaky breath, he glanced back at the creature, noticing them still studying him.

"Are… Are you alright…?" He asked.

The Siren blinked, as if they were desperately trying to figure out what he was saying. It should have been obvious to Riku, since crossing paths with the creature, they hadn't spoken a lick of English. Sitting up, Riku chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to think of how to communicate properly.

"Um…" He met his eyes back with the creature, placing his hand over his heart. "I'm… Riku." Patting his hand over his chest again, he repeated, "Riku."

The Siren paused, their eyes drifting downwards towards Riku's hand along his chest. "Ri-ku…" They repeated, their voice soft, masculine, and still ringing like a song that made Riku's heart stutter to hear his own name.

Clearing his throat, his heart skipping as it started again, a warmth creeping up his ears. "Y-Yeah, I'm Riku."

The Siren looked back up to him, a smile tipping the corner of their lips as they matched Riku's gesture and patted their hand along their chest. "Sora."

"Sora," Riku repeated, the name sending a pulse of warmth through his chest that caused his lips to match Sora's smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sora."

...

...

****Author's Note: Thank you so much for taking the time to read the first chapter to Aicaya! This is a story I wrote for the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang event ( kh-rogue-nebula) on Tumblr. The entire thing is already written and will be posted chapter by chapter on a schedule. The cover art is by Jirachi ( chibijirachiwish on Tumblr), who was my art partner in the Big Bang event!**

**I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Have a lovely week!****


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Namine hummed a soft melody as she walked between the aisles of flowers, spraying them with a mist of water as Sephiroth checked things out back. The shop was silent, empty, her song the only sound besides her soft footsteps, until the front door burst open. She gasped, spinning on her heel; the mist from the hose in her grasp sprayed in front of her and over Riku as he rushed towards her.

She scrambled back in shock, her blue eyes frantically looking him over. He was soaked, caked with sand and bits of seaweed. "R-Riku! What happened to you? Are you-"

"I found a Siren." RIku interrupted her, his voice shaking.

Her eyes widened, her heart stopping. "What?" Shaking her head, she stammered, "B-But that's impossible. Sirens don't-"

"I know what I saw," Riku interrupted again, pacing away, his hands running over his arms. "They were washed up on shore under that destroyed pier. Their tail stuck in some trap, and I - I got them out, but they can't swim." He breathily laughed in disbelief, "I don't know what to do, but I can't just leave them there. What if someone finds them? What's going to happen to them?"

"Okay, okay," Namine hurriedly put away the hose, before pressing her palms together as she approached Riku. "Let's say - you _actually_ saw this creature…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes sliding shut as she took in and released a breath. "What do you need me to do?"

Riku paused, turning to look back at her to see a small, reassuring smile on her lips. He returned the smile, letting out a breath. "You've been studying nursing."

She blinked rapidly, "W-Well yes, but for _people_. I - Well I don't even know what a Siren looks like."

"Nams," Riku gripped her shoulders, waiting until she looked up at him before he continued. "You're the only one I know that can help them. Please…"

She swallowed, the corner of her lips twitching into a frown. Letting out a long breath, she nodded. "Alright… Let me grab my kit."

"Thank you," Riku released her shoulders, allowing her to walk past him towards the front desk of the shop. He ran his fingers through his hair, his heart still pounding and racing in his chest from the whole ordeal.

"What should we tell Sephiroth?" Namine asked, a white boxed first aid kit in her arms.

Riku shook his head, "Nothing. He wouldn't want us to help." Glancing back at Namine, he nodded shortly. "Come on."

She watched him leave, taking one glance back towards the garden out back where Sephiroth was still checking inventory. Sighing, she turned back around and followed after Riku.

The night was frigid, more than usual as Namine shivered against the wind, keeping her pace just behind Riku as he led the way. Riku glanced over his shoulder at her, making sure she was keeping up until they reached the shore line.

"This way," he waved towards the pier, quickening his pace and dearly hoping that Sora was still there.

"I see someone there…" Namine noted, seeing the silhouette under the destroyed pier. "Is that them?"

"Yeah," Riku called back, pausing to let her catch up to him before he continued. "Their name is Sora… I _think_ it's a he… But, I don't know a lot of Sirens to really tell."

Namine wordlessly nodded, unsure how to really respond until she stopped at the jutted rocks that led under the pier. Her breath hitched in her throat, seeing the creature lying along the sand, their lacerated tail swaying under the waves, oozing thick, blue liquid. Riku placed his hand along her arm, bringing her gaze to his as he nodded and sent a reassuring smile.

When she returned a strained smile, he went forward, kneeling by Sora's side. Sora looked between Riku and Namine, their eyes studying her before looking to Riku as if to make sure she was safe.

"She'll help your tail." Riku assured them, fully knowing that Sora couldn't understand a word he said.

"Y-Yes," Namine stammered, her voice cracking as she forced her feet forward and knelt beside their tail. "I'm Namine."

"Put your hand over your heart," Riku told her. "That's the only way they'll know it's your name."

"Oh," she realized, clearing her throat and meeting her eyes with Sora's as she placed her hand back over her heart. "I'm Namine."

Sora's lips curved into a smile as they nodded. "Na-mi-nay….?"

Namine couldn't help but grin, a soft, breathy laugh escaping her. "Something like that."

Riku chuckled, before bringing his attention to her medical bag. "What can I do?"

"I'm… not sure," she admitted, clicking open the bag and perusing the contents. "Even if we bandage him up, I doubt he'll be able to swim away tonight."

"And we can't leave them out here." Riku frowned, looking back to Sora, who darted their attention between them, completely unaware of what they were discussing. With a huff of breath, Riku rubbed the back of his neck. "What about… the old lighthouse…?"

Namine looked up at him. "The one Dad used to run?"

Riku nodded, "Yeah, no one's been there in months. It basically operates on its own."

Her eyes drifted over Sora as she thought it over. "There is the pool of water at the bottom and it would keep him hidden, but-"

"How do we get Sora there?"

"Yeah," Namine sighed, looking back up at him.

"Easiest way would be to carry them, I guess." Riku suggested, his nose scrunched at his distaste for his own idea.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose." Namine admitted, sending a soft smile to Sora. "We'll take care of you. I promise." When Sora returned the smile, she looked to their tail, grabbing a bottle of ointment from her bag. "This is going to sting, but… it should keep the cuts from getting infected."

Sora flicked their tail when she tried to grab it, wriggling back. Namine put up her hands, startling with a gasp.

"Sora," Riku spoke up, getting the Sirens' eyes darting to his. "You can trust her." He assured them, straining a smile. "We're trying to help."

"You might have to hold him down." Namine told him.

He let out a breath, nodding. "Alright."

Sending a glance to Sora, he placed his hands along their tail, surprised when Sora gave little to no resistance to his touch.

"Go ahead," Riku instructed Namine, giving her a nod.

"Here goes," she muttered under her breath, pouring the ointment on a rag, before pressing the fabric over the most prominent cut.

Sora yelped, the end of their tail whipping and making Namine jump back with a gasp of her own. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's tail completely, holding him close as Namine hurried back to finish. Sora whined, their hand going to Riku's shoulder. Riku glanced back at them, seeing the worried, pained look in Sora's eyes.

"You'll be alright," Riku soothed them, his eyes softening as Sora nodded. Sora might not have been able to understand his words, but Riku hoped deep down they understood his sentiment.

"I'll try to bandage the wounds," Namine spoke up, her voice distracted as she rummaged through her bag. "But I think he needs stitches."

"Can you do that?" He asked, waiting for her to reply, but when she didn't he asked, "Nams?"

"I've never done it before, no." She admitted, "But, if we're able to get him to the lighthouse… then, I can try."

"Better than nothing." Riku sighed, bringing his attention back to Sora.

Sora had ceased thrashing, keeping as still as possible to allow Namine to finish her work. The waves crashed against the shore, each one splashing against them, covering them in the salty water and bits of seaweed, but none of them paid it any mind. Riku kept his gaze on Sora's, still entranced by their eyes that danced over the beach around them. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was an unfamiliar sensation in the pit of his stomach when he looked at Sora. Perhaps it was curiosity, excitement, something about discovering something new. Deep down, he knew it wasn't just that, but there was too much going on to entertain the thought of what else it could possibly be.

"There," Namine interrupted Riku's thoughts as he glanced back to see white bandages tightly wrapped over Sora's tail and fins.

"Good job," Riku smiled as she looked up at him.

She softly smiled back, the expression falling to a frown as she repacked her supplies. "We better get him to the lighthouse. Sephiroth will be wondering where we are."

The mention of Sephiroth made Riku wince as he looked down at his sand encrusted outfit. It would take more than a simple lie to cover up why he looked the way he did. Letting out a breath, he released his hold on Sora's tail.

"We'll be fine." he assured her, and somewhat himself, as he stood. "Let's get moving."

Sora looked between them as Namine wrapped her arms around his tail and Riku came from behind. Riku slid his arms under Sora's, his face barely inches from theirs. A blush warmed Riku's cheeks as he linked his hands over Sora's chest.

"Ready?" He asked Namine, noticing her struggling.

"T-Trying to be," she replied, strained as she attempted to pick up his slippery tail, until she huffed and released Sora completely. "Actually…" Her voice trailed off.

Riku sighed, loosening his grip on Sora. "Alright… I think I can probably manage."

He slid his hands back, going to Sora's side. Sora looked up at him, a trusting smile on their lips as Riku knelt down beside them. Riku couldn't help but smile back, even if it was nervously, as he dug his arms under the sand and swept Sora off the ground. Without Sora fighting in his arms, they were surprisingly easy to pick up. Riku readjusted the Siren, Sora's arms tightly wrapping around his shoulders, as if afraid of being off the ground.

"I've got you," Riku whispered, a warmth filling his cheeks.

Sora whimpered, burying their face in the crook of Riku's neck, their grip tightening around him.

"Is he alright?" Namine asked.

"I hope so." Riku sighed, subconsciously running his thumb along Sora's shoulder. "Let's get to the lighthouse."

"Right," Namine agreed, leading the way.

Riku carefully stepped over the rocks, making sure to keep hidden in the cover of darkness as he followed behind Namine. She checked for townsfolk still out and about, waving Riku over when the coast was clear. Sora occasionally mumbled to Riku, their words still unrecognizable, but Riku could sense the worry in their voice. He whispered back, assuring and comforting that everything was going to be alright… he would make sure of it.

He wasn't exactly sure why he was so convicted to help Sora, but no matter the reason, he was determined that Sora be kept safe. A breath he hadn't realized he had been holding escaped him when they finally made it to the base of the brick lighthouse. It was old and worn down, the stripes painted along it faded and chipped over the years as barnacles clung to its sides. Namine shoved open the door, splintering a corner of the rotten wood and holding it open for Riku to carry Sora inside.

The salty scent of the air of the outdoors was tenfold in the tight confined space of the lighthouse. Riku coughed from the intensity, his eyes watering and making him blink rapidly. It was completely abandoned as they had hoped, a short wooden stairway leading towards the bottom level that was a pool of seawater, surrounded by a thin stone walkway.

Riku carefully descended the steps, noticing Sora peeking their head up to see where they had been taken.

"Over here," Namine spoke up, her voice echoing up the tower. "The water is shallow along this edge."

Riku nodded, carrying Sora over to the edge where the water lapped against the eroded edge. Kneeling down, Riku lowered Sora into the water. Sora slid in with ease, their tail whipping wildly in another attempt to swim, but ended with Sora crying out in pain. With a whimper, Sora gave up, and resigned to resting along the shallow edge. Tears welled up in their large eyes, making Riku's heart seize up as he placed his hand along Sora's shoulder.

"I'm… sorry," he whispered, his throat tightening as Sora leaned their cheek against his touch.

"You'll recover in no time at all." Namine assured Sora, knelt on the other side of them. "Just you wait."

Sora merely whimpered in response, sniffling as they stared at the clouded water.

"We should head back." Namine told Riku, standing back up.

Riku's lips tugged into a frown. "I can't just leave them here."

"Riku…" Namine sighed. "Sephiroth is going to be looking for us pretty soon if we don't head home."

"I know…" He admitted, his heart sinking further as Sora looked over at him. Letting out a breath, he pushed himself to stand. "Alright… let's go."

Namine nodded, walking past him to leave. Riku stared back at Sora, unable to shake the feeling that he shouldn't leave him alone. It wasn't like he was exactly equipped to stay in an abandoned lighthouse overnight though.

"I'll be back first thing in the morning." Riku assured him, wishing Sora could understand him. "Alright?"

Sora blinked, hesitantly nodding. Letting out a breath, Riku turned to leave, glancing back once more before shutting the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Riku creaked open his bedroom door, peeking out into the hall. It was an old home, wooden and worn down. Namine still slept in her own bed in their shared room and Sephiroth had claimed the master bedroom after their parents had disappeared. It was the crack of dawn, sunlight just beginning to spread its glow over Dorhaven and Riku was hoping he could sneak out before anyone else awoke.

Letting out a breath, he slipped out of his room, shutting the door behind him and walking slow, and steady to the kitchen. The home was silent, not even the song of the morning birds yet singing outside their door. Reaching the kitchen to find it empty, Riku sighed a breath of relief, grabbing a muffin from the counter and hurrying to the front door.

"Where exactly are you going at this hour?" Sephiroth's voice caused every muscle in Riku's body to tense.

He froze, strongly considering opening the front door and bolting away, yet he knew that would only make the matter worse when he had to inevitably return. "Just going for a walk…"

"The same walk that you and Namine took last night that ended with you both soaked from the ocean?" He asked, something nearly accusatory in his tone.

Riku scoffed, his back still to Sephiroth. "It's really none of your business."

"I'm in charge of your well being," Sephiroth pointed out, making Riku's hand clench into a fist at his side. "If you're up to something-which you obviously are- I will find out."

"What, is that your idea of a threat?" Riku asked, glaring over his shoulder at him and seeing Sephiroth standing at the foot of the stairs, already fully dressed as if it weren't barely dawn.

"More of a warning." He replied, his silver brow quirking up at Riku's breath of irritation.

"You wouldn't understand." Riku muttered, shaking his head. "Just stay out of it, alright?"

Sephiroth was silent for a moment, but Riku didn't give him the chance to respond as he opened the door and left the house. The crisp morning air made him shiver, but he hardly paid it any mind as he hurried into town. Sora had been alone in the lighthouse the entire night and it had been weighing heavily on Riku's heart. He couldn't get the Siren out of his head and he hardly slept a wink the entire night. Despite his exhaustion, he was determined to get back to Sora's side.

He pushed open the door to the old bookshop, the scent of dusty books filling his senses as the owner of the shop peeked up from his desk.

"Ah, Riku," they greeted, getting up from their seat and limping over to him. "Haven't seen you in my shop in quite some time. What can I do for you?"

Riku forced a smile, opening and closing his mouth a few times. "Um, I was actually wondering if you had any books on… uh, well, Sirens."

The book-keeper's brow quirked up, "I never took you for a believer in fairytales, Riku."

A strained chuckle slipped out of him as he stammered, "Eh, yeah, the interest really came out of nowhere."

"Well, you're in luck." They replied with a smirk, waving their hand over their shoulders as they led the way towards the furthest corner in the shop. "We have quite the collection of stories and myths of the creatures. And you might be interested in speaking to my daughter Aeirith on the subject. She's always had a fascination with them."

Riku nodded, "Uh, yeah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

The keeper nodded with a smile, "Let me know if you need anything."

Riku watched him walk back to his desk, before turning his attention back to the books. He grabbed a few off the shelf, attempting to differentiate between the obvious storybooks and the ones that seemed to hold true information. He flipped through the pages, skimming the words and trying to find anything about them. A certain book stood out to him from the others, a cream colored leather binding with gold trim. It was filled with handwritten notes inside what appeared to be a dictionary of sorts, but for a language Riku didn't understand.

"Is this in the wrong section?" He asked without thinking.

"Not at all," a soft, feminine voice caught his attention. He looked up to see a young woman, about Sephiroths' age. Her brown hair was braided down her back, her green eyes sparkling with life and kindness. She walked towards Riku, holding out her hand for the book. "This is a study of the Aicaya language."

Riku blinked, "The… what?"

The girl laughed softly, flipping through the pages before she looked back up at him. "Aicaya, usually known as Sirens?"

Riku's eyes widened as his gaze darted to the book. "So that's their language?"

"I wouldn't take it with too much water," the owner spoke up, making the girl roll her eyes with a fond smile.

"Don't listen to him," she whispered to Riku, handing him back the book. "These are my notes in there from when I was studying the language. As much as my father doesn't believe it, the Aicaya do exist." She sighed, "I only wish I could see one for myself someday."

Riku smiled, flipping through the pages of the book. "I know what you mean."

"I'm thankful that I'm not the only one interested in them." She told him, leaning to the side so he could see her even as he stared at the book. "I'm Aerith, by the way."

"Oh," he looked up at her, unsure what to say in response. "I'm-uh, Riku."

"Aerith just returned last month after travelling abroad." The owner spoke up.

"Yes, I was studying the Aicaya." She told him. "At least, what's left of them."

"What's left?" Riku asked, feeling a knot forming in his stomach.

"I've only been able to find traces of them," she told him with a sigh. "They were often hunted by pirates and fishermen."

Riku winced, looking back down to the book as his grip tightened around it. "How much for this?"

"Oh, feel free to borrow it!" Aerith told him with a chime. "I would love to discuss it with you once you have read through it."

"What? Borrow it? This is a store, not a library!" The owner objected, getting a sigh from Aerith.

"Thanks," Riku strained a smile, stuffing the book in his bag as he fled the store.

He hurried out of the town, making his way to the lighthouse. As he neared the tower, he slipped away in the brush of trees, making sure no one could see him before he pushed open the door.

"Sora?" He called out the moment he was inside, his heart stuttering at the bell like chime in response.

He hurried down the steps, finding Sora curled up in the same spot along the edge of the pool. Riku's smile faltered when he saw him, seeing the sombering expression on Sora's face.

"Hey," he greeted softly, kneeling down at Sora's side. "I brought you something."

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the muffin, holding it out for Sora. Sniffing the air, Sora pushed to sit up, tilting their head side to side as they eyed the treat.

"Um… you eat it." Riku tried to explain, using his free hand to rub the back of his neck. When Sora didn't react, he broke off a piece of the muffin. "See?" he popped the crumb into his mouth, Sora's eyes widening.

In a rush, Sora grabbed the muffin, stuffing nearly the entire thing in their mouth, crumbs flying everywhere as sounds of yummy appreciation hummed through their full mouth. Riku blinked, watching the spectacle until Sora swallowed and beamed a bright thankful smile that caused Riku to bubble into a laugh.

"I take it you're hungry." Riku chuckled, his heart jumping when Sora laughed alongside him. "Oh, I also got a book."

He reached back in his bag, pulling out the newly borrowed book. Sora scrambled to sit up, looking over Riku's shoulder at the contents. With a gasp they pointed to the words on the page, water droplets falling and mixing with the ink.

"Hey, hey, careful," Riku laughed, pulling away the book and holding it up when Sora whined and reached for it. "I'm borrowing this."

Sora huffed, the expression making Riku snicker as he brought the book back.

"Do you recognize some of these words?" Riku asked, his smile growing when Sora nodded eagerly.

"Aicaya," Sora recited with excitement, pressing against their chest.

Riku grinned, "Yeah! Yeah, I found out that's what your kind is. Aicaya."

Sora beamed, nodding, scooting closer to Riku to get a better look at the book. They pointed out various words, teaching the other how to say them in the other's language. Hours passed, both of them learning from the other, able to lay the groundwork of understanding the other. They barely heard the door to the lighthouse open as Sora talked and Riku scrambled to keep up with his book to understand what Sora was saying.

Namine cleared her throat, both of them going silent and looking up at her standing at the edge of the pool. "Riku, you really should have been at the shop an hour ago."

Riku groaned, moving to stand up before Sora grabbed his wrist. "Sorry Sora, I have to go."

Sora held out his other hand, "Book."

"Oh," Riku looked at the book in his other hand. "Um… well, sure."

"Thank," Sora chimed, hugging the book close.

Riku smiled, completely forgetting he had to leave until Namine repeated his name.

"Right," Riku waved her off, walking backwards towards the stairwell. "I'll be back."

Sora nodded, his smile faltering as Riku disappeared.

"How mad is Sephiroth?" Riku asked once the door to the lighthouse was shut behind them.

"He doesn't seem surprised." Namine told him, sighing. "I honestly wasn't surprised either. But I wish you would have told me you were leaving this morning."

"Sorry," he apologized, a soft smile curving his lips as he thought about Sora.

"Still though, I'm glad you went back to him." She replied, gently nudging him with her shoulder. "That was really sweet to see."

Riku blinked, looking over at her. "See what?"

"You smiling again." She pointed out, giggling when Riku scoffed.

"I was just… excited to be able to actually communicate with him."

"Him? She repeated, her smile growing into a grin as her palms pressed together in front of her. "Since last night, you've always referred to Sora as them or even it."

"That was before I knew for sure." Riku told her. "He's not a Siren either. Apparently he's something called an Aicaya."

"I've heard that word before." Namine brought her hand to her chin, humming in thought. "I can't think of where though."

"Probably from the fishermen or something," Riku shrugged.

"Possibly," she nodded.

The rest of the walk back to the flower shop was spent with Riku sharing everything he learned about Sora and all the things he told him about Dorhaven. Namine listened intently, barely getting a word in as Riku talked. She smiled to herself, never mentioning the warmth on Riku's cheeks or the permanent smile on his lips that she often thought she'd never see again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sun beams shimmered through the water's surface, shining through the translucent magenta fins of the female Aicaya, as she swam through the sea. Her red hair flowed behind her, her chest twisting with worry as she whipped her tail and broke through the waves. She spun in place, looking out at the water's horizon, desperately searching.

Cupping her scaled hands around her mouth, she called out, "Sora! Sora, are you out there?"

She waited for a reply, chewing her bottom lip when there was none. Slipping back under the water, she floated above the coral reef below, her arms hugged tightly around herself.

"Princess!" A distant voice called out to her, making her eyes slide shut as she sighed. "Princess Kairi!"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she spun around, seeing her mother's advisor swimming towards her. He was a seahorse, larger than the others scattered in the sea. His skin was a mixture of orange hues that sparkled under the sun's rays beaming through the water.

"Yes…?" She addressed him, glancing back towards the surface.

"Finally found you," he breathed heavily, his tiny chest heaving. "The queen requires your presence."

Kairi winced, tempted to swim off again to continue her search… but maybe her mother knew something. A way to help her track down Sora. Swallowing, she nodded. "Very well. I'll go to her."

The advisor let out a sigh of relief, a smile across his mouth. "Thank you."

Straining a smile, Kairi swam past him, her mind too distracted to fake the pleasantries. Glowing domes and glass spires surrounded her the further she went, welcoming her to the Kingdom of Aruna. It was a familiar place to Kairi. It was home. The place she grew up with Sora by her side. The two of them were inseparable - or at least, they used to be… Clenching her hands at her sides, Kairi whipped her tail, propelling herself forward.

She passed the threshold of her home, the castle made with polished marble and glistening gems. It was over the top - in Kairi's opinion - but her mother seemed to think otherwise.

"Princess," a familiar, worried voice spoke up.

Kairi looked over, seeing Sora's mother near the archway that led to the throne room. Her heart tightened as their eyes met. She was her Lady in Waiting and had been there for Kairi her entire life. She practically raised her beside Sora... Letting out a breath, Kairi hurried over to her.

"Sumie…" Kairi greeted, unable to keep her eyes connected with hers.

Sumie's hands clasped in front of her. "By your reaction, I assume you had no luck finding him?"

Kairi swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I've looked everywhere I can think of… One minute he was there and the next…" Her voice trailed off. Looking back up at Sumie, she told her. "I just don't know where he could have gone."

"It's not like him to disappear for this long." Sumie agreed, reaching forward to grab Kairi's hands. "I know he's out there. Please, don't stop searching."

"I promise," Kairi assured her, straining a smile.

"I'll help however I can." Sumie assured her, letting out a breath, "It kills me that I can't be out there searching with you."

"Me too," Kairi admitted. "I'm going to try talking with my mom about it."

"I wish you luck," Sumie pulled her into a quick hug.

"Thank you," Kairi's eyes shut tight, tears threatening to escape Taking in a shaky breath, she pulled back, seeing a similar gleam of emotion over Sumie's eyes.

She went past the archway, entering the long, drawn out throne room, where her mother and father were already awaiting her arrival. They were regal, proud, their shoulders back and heads high no matter the circumstance. Kairi often found herself wondering what they had to be so proud of.

"Kairi," her father spoke up, his thick blonde hair floating gracefully in the water. His voice was deep, commanding, and if Kairi had been anyone else, he would have seemed intimidating. "We appreciate you gracing us with your presence."

A spark of irritation flicked in Kairi's chest, but she buried it away as she nodded. "Of course. I came as soon as I heard you wanted to see me." Years had passed since she had learned to speak cordially to her parents. Defying them to their face rarely brought anything other than punishment.

"Where have you been, Dear?" Her mother asked, her red hair that matched Kairi's hue exactly was pinned and extravagantly braided around her crystal crown. "I do hope you weren't adventuring with that _boy_ again."

Kairi took in a slow breath, releasing it as she shook her head. "No… but, I was looking for him. He's… gone missing."

"Missing?" Her mother repeated. "For how long?"

"It's been just over a day." Kairi told her, "I've searched everywhere."

"He was most likely captured by ship." Her father surmised, making Kairi's eyes dart to him. "If that is so, there is little to be done."

"But - he's Sumie's son!" Kairi objected, swimming forward. "He's basically royalty, and at the very least, deserves a search party."

Her mother chuckled, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my Dear, he is the offspring of a Lady in Waiting, not a Prince."

"That shouldn't matter!" Kairi bit back, a glare forming in her gaze.

"He - along with the rest of our people - knew the risk of traveling outside Aruna's walls." Her father reminded her, his voice calm and collected despite Kairi's tone. "Whatever becomes of him is not our concern."

Kairi blinked, averting her gaze as she tried to process what they were saying to her. "He's… my best friend. I can't…" She shook her head, looking back to them as she placed her hand over her heart and cried. "You can't expect me to abandon him! I'm not about to sit and wait for him to return when he might be in danger!"

"That's quite enough." Her father raised his hand to silence her.

"It is not enough!" Kairi swam forward, "I won't stop until something is done!"

Her mother stood from her throne, returning Kairi's glare. "How dare you take that tone!"

"And how dare _you_ ignore one of our people in their time of need!" Kairi bit. "If you aren't going to do anything, _I_ _will_!"

"Now wait a moment, Kairi," her father stood up, still calm and collected, but Kairi ignored him, turning on her fin to storm out of the throne room entirely.

Emotion tightened her throat, nearly choking her as guards moved to block her way out.

"You can't keep me here," she looked over her shoulder at her parents.

"You must accept that there is nothing to be done." Her father told her. "I am truly sorry, Kairi."

Kairi paused, shaking her head, "You sure aren't acting sorry."

With a flip of her tail, she darted upwards, slipping between the guards and through the arched window to escape the castle. She could hear the clamor of the guards, the shrill yell of her mother demanding they capture the Princess. It wouldn't be the first time…

Despite it, Kairi didn't look back. She bolted between the coral, the homes and spires, knowing the swiftest way to leave the Kingdom without being spotted by the guards. Fellow Aicaya simply stepped aside, used to Kairi and Sora escaping together and swimming through the streets. A few of them even went out of their way to distract the guards to allow her more time. Perhaps there was something to be said about being familiar and friendly with the locals, rather than uptight and hidden away in a tower of jewels.

She reached the open water, leaving Aruna behind her. Schools of fish shimmered as they passed, paying her little mind as they fled a pod of orcas. Kairi watched them, keeping her distance as she allowed herself to take a moment to slow down. The guards wouldn't leave the Kingdom, at least not until given orders to do so. She was safe… she just wished she wasn't the only one safe from harm.

"I'll find you, Sora." She looked up towards the ocean's surface. "Just hang on."


	5. Chapter 5

Water lapped against the sides of the stone walkway inside the lighthouse, where Sora lounged against the crumbled edge. His finger traced the letters in the book he had gotten from Riku. Deep down in the pit of his stomach, he knew things were bad. He knew his mother and Kairi were probably worried sick about him. He knew that it would take days to weeks for him to heal properly and that he was in the hands of a couple of strangers. Despite it all, he was striving to focus on the positive.

He recalled Riku's voice, his pronunciation of letters and words, and Sora used it in an attempt to distract himself and teach himself the language. It was tiresome, repetitive, and Sora was certain that he was getting a majority of the words completely wrong; but if it kept him from being completely alone with his thoughts as he had been the night before when it had all happened. He wouldn't complain.

Everything was still blurred and muddled in his mind. The memories of the day before didn't add up, they were fractured, fuzzy, and he couldn't help but think that there was more to them than he remembered. What he did remember was exploring with Kairi. It was something they did together whenever they got the chance and the day before was no different. They had heard about a dolphin tangled in a trap, so of course, he and Kairi jumped at the chance to help.

He remembered finding the dolphin, talking and soothing them as Kairi attempted to ignite a bit of light magic, but she was still in training and nothing but an occasional sparkle had appeared. It was after that moment that things hadn't added up. It was as if he had blacked out, and reawoken on that rocky beach, entangled in the same trap the dolphin had been in before. If it hadn't been for Riku… he wasn't sure what would have happened to him.

Sora's lips curved into a smile at Riku's name. He wasn't sure what to think of him when they had first met, just that his aqua eyes were mesmerizing. He had often heard tales of humans and their cruelty, but Riku didn't seem anything like the stories. Ever since their paths had crossed, Riku had been nothing but kind and selfless to him. It didn't make sense, but Sora was indebted to him regardless.

A familiar voice broke him out of his thoughts. A voice that seemed to be desperately calling his name… _Kairi._ He scrambled up on his arms, pressing his ear against the brick wall to hear more clearly.

"_Soraaaa! Sora, please say you're here!"_ She cried out, making Sora's heart jump as a grin split his lips.

She had actually found him.

"Kairi!" He banged on the wall with his fists, wincing from the sting of the cuts along his knuckles, "Kairiiii! In here!"

He scooted himself forward, sliding into the water. His tail twanged in response, the larger fins refusing to move as he commanded so he could swim under the lighthouse. He sputtered and splashed, all at once remembering just how immobile he was.

A red head of hair burst up from the pool of water, violet eyes meeting with Sora's that went from being terrified to overjoyed in an instant.

"SORA!" Kairi exclaimed, pulling Sora into her arms and hugging him to the point of near suffocation.

Sora laughed, tears and emotion filling his eyes as he hugged her back. "Kairi… I can't believe you found me."

"You can thank a couple of guppies," she told him, not letting him go as her shoulders shook with relief. "They saw you last night and told me where you were."

"That's a relief." Sora sighed, unable to keep the smile off his lips before Kairi smacked the back of his head. "OW!" He rubbed his spikes of hair, pouting at Kairi's glare.

"Don't disappear like that, Numbskull!" She scolded him, crossing her arms and gasping as Sora flopped to the side with a yelp. "Sora!"

She dove beneath the water, her arms linking under Sora's arms and pulling him back to the surface.

"O-Over there," Sora pointed towards the crumbled walkway where the water was shallow.

"Are you alright? What happened?" She asked, helping him settle back in his seat. Her eyes drifted down his body, taking note of every scratch and wound until her hands went to her mouth. "Your tail…."

"Yeah," Sora replied with a strained voice, hissing as his tail twitched. "I got hurt pretty bad."

Kairi was unable to take her eyes off his tail. She held out her hand, tracing it along the bandages stained with blue blood. "Who did this…?"

"Um… weellll," Sora chuckled, "See, you're gonna laugh-"

As if on cue, the door to the lighthouse burst open. Kairi jumped over Sora protectively, her breath short and eyes widened as Namine's and Riku's voices echoed around them while they came down the stairs.

"Humans…" She whispered, her voice shaking as she stared up at the stairs.

"Well actually-" Sora tried to explain before Riku and Namine entered and froze when they saw Kairi.

"Get away from him!" Kairi hissed, baring her fanged teeth and protecting Sora with her own body.

Riku put up his hands as Namine spoke up, assuring them they meant no harm; but Kairi had no idea what she was saying as she held out her hand, about to summon a spell.

"Kairi, wait!" Sora reached up, grabbing her wrist. "Don't! They're my friends!"

"WHAT?!" Kairi sprang back, her widened eyes darting between the humans and Sora.

"That's Riku," Sora pointed to him, both him and Namine watching the exchange, completely dumbfounded. "He's the one that found me washed up on the beach and he rescued me."

Kairi darted her eyes to Riku, who attempted to smile at her, but was greeted with another hiss in response.

"And that's Namiinay," Sora motioned towards Namine. "I _think_ they're related - or they're married… I didn't really get it." Shaking his head, he got back on topic, "But anyway, she's the one that patched me up." He pointed to his tail, "See? The bandages are cause of her."

Kairi was struck speechless as she looked between the group, her chest heaving as she backed up against the walkway furthest away from them.

Sora looked to his friends, smiling apologetically as he motioned towards her, "Kairi."

"What do you think you're doing?" Kairi whisper screamed at him. "Don't tell them my name!"

"Kairi…?" Namine said her name, making Kairi freeze as she whipped her attention up to her. Namine knelt down, placing her hand over her heart. "Namine. And this-" she motioned beside her, "is my brother, Riku."

"What are they saying…?" She whispered to Sora.

"I think… she was introducing herself and telling you that… Riku is either her soulmate or brother."

Kairi groaned, "Well those are two _very_ different things, Sora!"

"Gimme a break, Kairi!" Sora huffed, "I just started trying to learn their language earlier today."

"I don't trust them." Kairi told him.

"Well, I do." Sora replied, smiling towards the others, even as Kairi looked over at him in disbelief. "They aren't anything like the stories."

"Yeah well, maybe they are just trying to gain your trust." She suggested. "Who knows what they'll do once they know they got you on their side?"

Sora sighed wistfully, looking over at her. "Just give them a chance, Kai, please. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

Kairi paused, her eyes drifting towards Sora's tail. "You're right…" She admitted, swimming back towards him and running her hand along his tail. "How do I tell them I appreciate them taking care of you?"

"Thank." Sora told her, noticing Riku and Namine looking over at him.

"T-ank..?" She repeated, making Sora laugh.

"No, no," he shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. Clearing his throat, he repeated it slower. "Thank."

Kairi nodded, taking in a breath as she nervously looked between Namine and Riku. "Um… T-Thank…"

Namine responded with kind sounding words and a smile that caused the slightest flutter in Kairi's heart as the tension in her shoulders faded away. She wasn't sure what to think of the humans, but they were taking care of Sora… she supposed she could give them a chance… if that's what Sora wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Are you almost ready?" Riku asked, anxiously glancing out the window at the setting sun every few seconds.

"Yes," Namine laughed, perusing the extra flowers from the day and picking her favorites. "Just be patient. Sora and Kairi aren't going anywhere."

"I know, I just hate that Sora is cooped up all day." Riku sighed, going to Namine's side and looking over her shoulder. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"I thought Kairi might like some of these flowers." She told him, wrapping the unmatched, assorted bouquet in green plastic. "She seemed interested when I was telling her about them."

"Are you sure she understood any of it?" Riku asked with a soft chuckle.

Namine smiled, "Yes, I'm sure she did. She's been picking up our language faster than Sora has."

Riku hummed, looking back towards the door. "Can you blame him for it? He's got enough going on with his recovering, and-"

"Riku," Namine interrupted him with a fond smile. "I wasn't trying to say anything against him. He's been doing great. There's no need to get defensive on his behalf."

With a scoff, Riku crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "I wasn't getting defensive."

"Uh-huh," she nodded, concealing her amused smirk as she grabbed a ribbon to tie over the stems of the flowers. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Finally," Riku breathed out in relief, hurrying towards the door before it opened as Sephiroth walked in.

Riku stumbled back, his body tensing just from seeing his brother enter the shop, until Namine's soft hand along his arm brought him back to reality. Sephiroth looked between them, his gaze landing on the bouquet of flowers in Namine's arms.

"Where are you two headed off to in such a hurry?" He asked, his tone accusatory as he brought his eyes back to Riku.

"Nowhere special," Riku averted his eyes, his jaw clenching when he noticed Sephiroth's huff of amusement at his obvious deflection.

"Is that so?" He asked in return, entirely unconvinced.

"We just thought we could donate these extra flowers." Namine spoke up, showing him the bouquet. "I'd rather that than throwing them away."

Sephiroth's brow quirked up, his smirk faltering at her words. Letting out a breath, he stepped aside, holding out his arm. "Very well."

Riku didn't cast him another glance as he hurried out of the shop with Namine in tow. The sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon, the golden glow covering the streets as stars began speckling the darkening sky. Namine kept her eyes downcast as she followed after Riku, holding the bouquet close to her chest.

"I can't believe I lied to him…" She muttered once they were out of town. "I've never lied to Sephiroth."

Riku stopped midstep, stumbling forward when Namine bumped into his back. "It's not like we had much of a choice."

"I… I know," she admitted, letting out a breath. "But…" Her voice trailed off.

"If he knew about Sora…" Riku swallowed, motioning back to town. "With all those pirates and lowlifes he hangs out with... who knows what he'd do?"

"He's trying his best, Riku." She brought her eyes up to his, only to see him scoff and look away. "A lot fell on him after Mom and Dad disappeared."

Riku winced from the mention of their parents, his hand tightening at his side. "It's not like it didn't affect us, too." He murmured.

"I know…" She whispered, looking down to the flowers in her arms. "And I know that neither of you handle stress well."

"What do you mean?" He asked, darting his eyes back to her.

"Oh Riku, you know what I mean," she looked back up at him. "Ever since Mom and Dad left, the two of you can hardly be in the same room together."

"Yeah, well maybe tell him that." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's the one always being an ass."

"Riku!" Namine scolded him for his language, making him smirk.

"It's true." He shrugged, motioning his head further down the path. "Come on. They're waiting for us.

Namine sighed as she watched Riku walk on ahead, before glancing over her shoulder. It felt as if someone was there, but when she looked, there was nothing but the empty path leading into town. Taking in a breath, she shook her head and followed after her brother.

The moon was out, its glow casting silver light over the beach and the worn lighthouse. Riku pushed open the door, grabbing the oil lamp he had placed inside a few days prior.

"Riku?" Sora's voice asked with a tinge of hope in his tone that made Riku's heart jump.

"Yeah, Sora, it's us!" Riku called back, quickening his pace and heading down the stairs to the lower pool.

"Welcome back!" Sora chimed, splashing his tail, even if his movement was still limited.

"Hey, good job," Riku grinned, dropping off his bag and sitting along the edge beside him. His legs dangled in the cool water as he lowered himself down. "You're really starting to pick it up."

Sora blinked, tilting his head to the side as he tried to decipher what Riku was saying.

"Oh, um," Riku reached into his bag, pulling out the worn book that had dried droplets of water littering the pages. Finding the word he was looking for, he held it out for Sora and pointed to it.

"Oh!" Sora realized, grabbing the book from Riku, soaking the pages with his hands. "Thank."

"It's thanks, or thank you." Kairi told him, coming up to the surface of the water.

Sora grumbled in his own language, waving her off as Namine knelt down, placing her flowers beside her.

"Hello, Kairi." She greeted warmly.

Kairi spun to face her, a warmth filling her cheeks as she wordlessly nodded and smiled. She swam towards the edge, looking over the plastic wrapped bouquet. Pointing to it, she looked up to Namine and asked, "Is flowers?"

Namine giggled, nodding, "Yes, flowers." She untied the ribbon and plastic, showing her the array of colors and grinning at Kairi's widened eyes. "Do you like them?"

Kairi opened her mouth to respond, before Sora splashed into the water, showering Namine and the flowers with salty sea. Kairi glared over at him, but he ignored her stare as he swam over to the edge, grabbing a stem of a soaked flower.

Sora oohed and ahhed over them, picking up one after another, telling Kairi about them in their language as she sighed and agreed with him.

Namine grabbed the occasional flower from the bouquet, silently working at braiding the stems together as Sora talked. Riku's laugh brought up her gaze, finding him completely entranced by Sora. He seemed to be loving the excitement, even though she knew him to usually prefer silence. She smiled to herself, before bringing her gaze to Kairi, who was watching her movements intently.

Holding up her half made creation, she showed her, getting a smile and excited nod in response. Namine continued, using more than half the flowers that were no longer being grabbed by Sora, who was instead placing the stems into Riku's hair. Kairi came to her side, her arms along the edge of the pool with her head resting against them as she watched.

Everything was warm, relaxing, a stark difference to the tense air back in the shop. Namine's smile grew whenever she would hear Riku chuckle or laugh and made sure to glance up to see what antics he was up to with Sora. The two of them had gotten along better than anyone Namine had ever seen with Riku. It was as if Riku was under a spell when he was around Sora, and she was sure Riku would say the same if she confronted him about it. But considering he was only like this when Sora was around, she highly doubted that was actually the case.

"What is it?" Kairi's question brought Namine's attention to her.

"A flower crown." Namine held up the finished product of half wilted flowers of various sizes and colors. She sighed, "Usually they end up much prettier."

Kairi carefully reached up, grasping the crown as if it were a rare treasure. "Flower… crown?" She repeated with a slow tone, glancing back up at Namine for reassurance.

Namine nodded, mimicking the motions of placing something on her head. "You wear it."

"Crown," Kairi repeated again, copying Namine's movements to place the crown on her head.

"It fits perfectly," Namine's smile warmed, reaching forward to readjust the crown.

Kairi flinched - still getting used to fully trusting them - but with a shaky breath, she remained still. She reached up to trace her fingertips along the petals when Namine was done.

"Beautiful," Namine told her.

"Bee-u-ti-full?" Kairi repeated, getting a soft laugh from Namine.

"Very close," Namine assured her.

A sudden creak to the door caught all of their attention, Namine and Riku's eyes darting to each other.

"I'll go check," Namine stood up, Sora and Kairi falling completely silent as they watched Namine head up the stairs.

"No, Nams, I should check," Riku jumped up, hurrying after her.

They exchanged a glance as they reached the door, Namine pushing it open first to peek out. "I don't see anyone…" She whispered, stepping aside to allow Riku to push the door further. "Maybe it was just the wind."

"Yeah, except that there hasn't been a gust that strong since we left the shop." He told her. Letting out a breath, he shut the door. "We must have been being too loud."

"Or someone followed us," she tangled her hands in her hair that was hanging loose over her shoulder. "I thought I felt someone watching us on the way here."

"Shit," Riku sighed, getting another look from Namine about his language.

"What should we do?" She asked.

He looked back to Sora and Kairi. "I should stay here… in case anything happens."

"Are you sure?" She stepped forward, placing her hand along his arm. "Riku, you don't have anything to stay the night. What about blankets, pillows? You can't stay by the water all night, you'll get sick."

"Sora has to stay here by himself," he pointed out, looking back at her. "Kairi can't be here every night."

"He also can sleep in the water." She reminded him, worry still plain in her eyes.

Riku let out a harsh breath, "I don't know what you want me to say, Namine. I can't just leave him here after that. What if we come back tomorrow and something's happened? He's trapped down there and helpless if anyone finds him."

Namine drifted her eyes towards Sora and Kairi, who were whispering worriedly to each other as they waited for them.

"What about Sephiroth…?" She asked, "He'll be waiting for us at home."

"I don't know," he admitted with a sigh. "All I know is that I can't leave Sora here by himself."

"Riku…" She shook her head, turning away and pacing. "I don't like you staying here."

"Well…" he shrugged, a soft laugh escaping him, "it's not like you really have much say in it."

Namine chuckled as she looked back at him. "Is that your way of saying you're staying no matter what?"

"Pretty much," he smirked, his expression faltering as Namine hung her head forward with a sigh. "Look, Nams," he went to her, his hands along her arms. "It's fine. I can take care of myself."

"You're right…" She admitted, placing her hand over his. "Just… be careful?"

"Always," he smirked again, "Thank you."

She returned a strained smile, letting out a breath. "I'll have to lie to Sephiroth again."

"I know," he agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry."

"It's alright," she shrugged with a bitter laugh. "What's one more lie, right?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Riku stood at the doorway to the lighthouse, watching Namine disappear into the night. Once she was gone, he shut the door with a sigh, leaning against it as his eyes slid shut. His heart twisted with worry. There was no telling who or what had been at the door and every time he attempted to think about what would happen if Sora was found his stomach nearly flipped with anxiety.

He had only known the Aicayan for a month, there was no reason for him to feel so protective or attached to him. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't imagine his life without Sora in it. He looked forward to seeing him every day. Something in his life had shifted since they met and Riku wasn't about to let it get taken away.

A groan escaped him as he slid to the floor, his back still against the door. He could hear Sora and Kairi whispering to each other in their language. It still sounded like music to Riku's ears and he hoped that one day he would be as fluent in it as they were. He wasn't sure what they were saying, only catching common words here and there, but it was obvious from their tone that they were concerned. Riku didn't blame them. They had placed their trust in him and Namine…

Sora was trapped there until he could properly swim again. Even with the stitches that Namine had managed, there were still days to weeks worth of recovering left. He could tell from Kairi's reactions to Sora's improvements, that it was very possible he would never be able to swim the same again.

At least he was alive.

Riku swallowed a lump of anxiety in his throat, his heart tightening at the thought of what would have happened if he hadn't been the one to find Sora. He took in a sharp breath, coughing into his arm. The sound caused the two Aicayans to go silent.

Sora cleared his throat, "R-Riku…?"

Riku nodded, even though he knew neither of them could see him. "Yeah, I'm still here."

Letting out a breath, he pushed himself to stand and made his way down the stairs. Kairi was still beside Sora, watching Riku as he came towards them. She hadn't acclimated to him the same way she had to Namine and tensed the closer he got. Sora, on the other hand, smiled warmly as Riku approached, the tension in his shoulders lessening considerably.

"I'm going to stay here tonight." He told them, knowing that they probably had no idea what he was saying. He sat down along the edge of the pool, rolling up his pants to his knees so he could dangle his legs in the water. Keeping his gaze on the golden reflection of the lamp's light on the water's surface, he muttered, "I'll keep you safe, don't worry."

He jumped when Sora linked his arm with his, leaning his head against his shoulder. "Thank…"

Riku smirked, his heart stuttering in his chest. His hand reluctantly landed on Sora's lap that was covered with shimmering scales. Even after all that time, he wasn't used to the texture of them along his skin.

Kairi's scoff caught his attention as he looked up, seeing her rolling her eyes with her arms crossed. Looking to Sora she spoke up, her words making Sora's grip around Riku tighten as he objected to whatever she was saying. Shaking her head, Kairi turned around, diving into the water and disappearing.

"Is… everything alright?" Riku asked, carefully choosing words he knew Sora was familiar with.

Sora nodded against his shoulder, "Kairi…" his voice trailed off as he thought of the words to use. "Looking outside."

"Oh," Riku realized, allowing the conversation to fall silent.

Besides sharing words over the book, the two of them hadn't spoken much, not that there was much they really could say. Because of it, though, the silence between them was companionable, rather than awkward. Silence usually filled Riku with memories he'd rather forget, anxieties and frustrations of his life, but with Sora, they never entered his thoughts.

Subtle waves lapped against the edges of the pool, the sound of it splashing against the rock echoing through the tower along with Sora's occasional humming. The tunes Sora hummed were unfamiliar to Riku, but he loved to hear them. His eyes slid shut, his head resting against Sora's spikes of hair as he listened to the melodies.

Minutes passed, leading on into an hour without a word being said between them. Riku felt his mind drifting, his body swaying as he was drifting to sleep by Sora's lullaby. Then soft, cool fingers met along his hand, startling him awake as he opened his eyes. His hand was in Sora's, held out in front of him as Sora traced his fingers and palm.

Their hands weren't incredibly varying from the other, spare for the lack of scales and claws, but Riku realized that while he had all the time in the world to study Sora, he never had the chance to study him. Swallowing, he watched Sora examine him, a thrill of shivers pulsing up his arm to his fluttering heart each time Sora ever so slightly squeezed his hand. He didn't say anything, merely allowed Sora to continue, choking when Sora's fingers traced further up his arm.

"Is - Is something wrong?" He stammered, his voice nearly breaking.

Sora paused, shaking his head. "You... different."

Riku blinked. "Different, huh?" He huffed in amusement, a warmth creeping up to the tips of his ears. "So are you."

A soft laugh slipped out of Sora, the sound making Riku's heart jump to his throat. He didn't know why he was having such a reaction, but a part of him didn't want it to stop. When Riku didn't say anything else, Sora continued to trace his fingers along Riku's arm, he pulled back, his eyes drifting over Riku, not noticing the warmth on Riku's ears travelling to his face.

Riku's breath hitched as Sora's fingers met along his upper arm, he looked away, unable to watch as Sora gave his arm an experimental squeeze.

"Strong," Sora simply told him, making Riku choke out a short laugh.

"I guess so," he agreed.

"You, alright?" Sora asked, making Riku look back at him.

The concern in Sora's blue eyes caused the nervous energy inside of Riku's chest to settle as he smiled, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He looked to Sora's hand still along his arm. "Just… not used to being studied, I guess."

Sora tilted his head to the side, deciphering what he understood before he hummed with a smile of his own. "Bee-u-ti full."

Riku's eyes widened, his eyes darting to Sora's, "Huh?"

"Namiinay told Kairi with the flowers." Sora explained, his smile growing as he chimed. "Riku beeutifull."

"I-I-" Riku stammered, a mess of various noises and words escaping him as he tried to get past the way his heart had nearly exploded in his chest. Clearing his throat, he looked away, butterflies fluttering in a frenzy inside him. "U-Um, thank…. Um… you, too…"

He refused to look at Sora to see his reaction. If he had his hands back from Sora, he would have used them to bury his face overwhelmed with embarrassment. Instead, Sora chuckled, the sound making Riku swallow as he began to realize that there was something much more than a curiosity about Sora. These emotions, these reactions, they weren't something he had ever felt before. And if the stories from his parents were anything to go off of… he was feeling something much more real.

"Thank," Sora told him, burying his face against Riku's shoulder again as his hand slid back down to meet with Riku's.

Riku didn't pull away, allowing Sora to wrap his hand around his and giving the slightest squeeze in response.

"Riku…?" Sora muttered, his voice barely audible.

"Hmm?" Riku hummed, still unable to fully find his words as he was internally attempting to figure out what was happening to him.

"I… I like-" Sora began to reply before the door to the lighthouse burst open.

Riku released Sora's hand, standing up and running over to the other side of the pool, just in time to see Sephiroth standing at the top of the stairs with Namine in tow.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sephiroth's eyes scanned the abandoned lighthouse. He remembered the days he would aid his father in managing the place, all before it had been shut down when a newer, more streamlined model had been built. It had been years since he had stepped inside of it, but even just being there brought an air of nostalgia to him. Not that he could pay it much mind as his eyes landed on the pool at the bottom of the tower. The sight caused his hands to tighten at his sides as he realized his assumption of his siblings was correct.

"What are you doing here?" Riku demanded, bringing Sephiroth's attention to him. He glared back at Sephiroth, as if ready to physically fight for the creature below.

"He was the one following us." Namine spoke up, her voice shaking, still wrought with the tears she shed when Sephiroth had called her out on her blatant lying when she had returned home. "H-He knows, Riku."

"Did you really believe you could keep it from me?" Sephiroth asked, his tone making Riku tense. He looked over Riku's shoulder to the creature down below.

"His _name_ is Sora." Riku bit in return.

"Hmph," Sephiroth walked down the steps, until Riku blocked his path. "You are brave, but reckless to trap him here."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion." Riku glared up at him. "He's recovering here. Whether or not you like it."

Sephiroth's eyebrow quirked up at Riku's confidence a smirk tipping the corner of his lips. "Is that so?"

"Please don't tell anyone, Sephiroth." Namine pleaded, her hands clenched over her heart. When he looked over his shoulder at her, she added. "You know what those pirates would do if they found out about him."

"Namine!" Riku scolded.

"You're right, Namine," Sephiroth told her, looking back to Sora, who was watching the ordeal with widened, frightened eyes. "It wouldn't stand a chance against them. Creatures like that sell for a high price."

"You're not getting anywhere near him," Riku warned, his eyes narrowing. "I told you before, this doesn't have anything to do with you."

"You're right," Sephiroth nodded, noticing the surprise on both of his siblings' faces. "Regardless, I should know when and why my siblings are lying to me. Particularly when it gets in the way of our livelihood."

Riku scowled, "Should have known that it all comes back down to work. As long as we're keeping up as your servants, you couldn't care less about us."

"Riku, that's not true." Namine objected, falling silent when Sephiroth's hand went up as a way to tell her to remain silent.

"Believe what you want." Sephiroth told him, putting his hand back down at his side. "It makes little difference to me."

"Riku," Sora spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "You, alright?"

The tension in Riku's shoulders lessened considerably as he looked over his shoulder at him and nodded. "Don't worry."

"It speaks our language?" Sephiroth asked, getting a scoff from Riku.

"What do you care?" He muttered, his eyes downcast towards the stairs.

"Fair enough," Sephiroth looked away from Sora, turning around. "Now that you know the trouble has passed, you should return home for the night."

"I'm staying." Riku told him, standing his ground.

"Riku, please, you'll get sick." Namine stepped forward.

"It's not up for discussion." He told them, turning around and heading back down to Sora.

"Riku-"

"It's alright, Namine," Sephiroth placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let him stay if he insists."

Namine let out a breath, turning along with her older brother. "Alright…"

Riku looked over his shoulder as he reached the bottom of the steps, watching them leave and shut the door to the lighthouse behind them. Once they were gone, he sat down on the bottom step, letting out a long breath as he buried his face in his hands.

The sound of splashing water didn't faze him, knowing that Sora was heading over to the other side of the pool towards him.

"Riku…?" Sora asked, his hand reaching out and resting along Riku's arm.

"I'm alright, Sora," Riku assured him, turning his head to peek up at Sora, a strained smile on his lips. "I'm alright."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Thin beams of sunlight peered through the cracks in the brick of the worn lighthouse walls. Although dim, each ray sparkled and shimmered against the pool's surface as it lapped at Riku's feet. He coughed, shivering as his heavy eyes fluttered open. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, everything was blurred with exhaustion. He moved to sit up, but found that he couldn't manage more than propping himself up on his elbows because something was keeping him there. Glancing down, his heart jumped, seeing Sora nearly laying on top of him, his head nuzzled against his chest.

Warmth crept up Riku's cheeks as he lifted his hand, hesitating to place it onto Sora, but settled for patting the spikes of his hair. The strands were smooth, lacing between Riku's fingers as he began brushing through his locks. Sora hummed, a soft smile spreading over his lips as he leaned into Riku's touch. The sight made Riku smile to himself, his heart swelling in his chest.

Leaning his head back, his eyes scanned over the tower above. Every cobweb, every piece of splintered wood, the cracks and erosion in the brick, it all was a blatant reminder that the lighthouse wasn't exactly the best place for anyone to recover. Sora was confined to the tiny pool in a strange, unfamiliar place. He hadn't felt or seen the sun's warmth in over a month, yet somehow he hadn't expressed a single complaint. Riku's hand paused in Sora's hair, his lips tipping into a frown.

He really was trapping Sora there. Even if his intentions were seemingly pure and well intentioned, Sora didn't have a choice but to wait there day in and day out… completely alone, isolated… It was no wonder his eyes lit up whenever him or Namine came to check up on him.

Sora murmured in his sleep, catching Riku's attention and bringing him out of his thoughts. His blue eyes fluttered open, the sight of them never failing to make Riku's breath catch. He pushed himself up with a yawn, his lips spreading into a bright, beaming smile when his eyes met with Riku's.

"Riku," he greeted, another yawn in his voice as he rubbed his eye.

"Good morning, Sora," Riku replied, about to remove his hand from Sora's hair before Sora gently grabbed his wrist as he lay back down on top of Riku.

"Keep go," Sora muttered sleepily, nuzzling back against Riku's chest.

Riku huffed with amusement, his lips spreading into a warm smile as he did as Sora's asked. Sora hummed in approval as Riku's fingers continued to brush through his hair.

"Riku, sleep good?" Sora asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"Yeah, for the most part." Riku admitted, tilting his head to the side as his eyes danced over Sora. "A little cold. A little wet."

"Wet…?" Sora repeated.

"Uh, yeah, the water." Riku splashed his fingertips on the water's surface, the sound catching Sora's attention as his head shot up.

"Oooh," Sora splashed his hand in the water, a spray of the salty liquid misting over Riku's already shivering body. "Wet water."

Riku chuckled, "Something like that."

The door to the lighthouse creaked, catching both of their attention.

"Namiinay," Sora pointed towards the door.

"You can tell from how we open the door?" Riku asked, "I'm kinda impressed."

As the words left his mouth, the door swung open, Namine stumbling backwards into the lighthouse from shoving the door open with her back. She regained her footing, turning around to face them and stopping short. Her eyes drifted over the two of them, before her gaze met with Riku's and she smiled.

"Good morning," she greeted them, carefully coming down the stairs, a paper bag stuffed with food in her arms.

"Morning!" Sora greeted, pushing off of Riku and splashing to the other edge of the pool. His tail flicked as he reached out for the food.

Namine giggled, reaching into the back and handing Sora a blueberry muffin, which had proved to be his favorite since being with them. He hummed in delight, leaning over the edge of the pool on his elbows and devouring the treat. Riku chuckled at his excitement as Namine placed the bag of goodies beside him and knelt down.

"How are you doing?" She asked, her voice soft and concerned.

Riku's smile faltered as his eyes downcast to the water. "I'm fine."

Namine sighed, bringing the back of her hand to his forehead. "Well, you don't feel like you got a fever from staying here all night. Although-" her smile grew into a smirk and a knowing look as she brought her hand back in her lap "I'm sure Sora helped keep you warm."

Riku huffed out a breath, the warmth on his cheeks darkening as he refused to give her assumption any reply.

"I'm about to head to the shop." She moved on, noticing Riku tense. "Are you coming?" When he shook his head, she sighed, "Riku-"

"I don't want Sora to be alone." He told her, his eyes falling on Sora excitedly finishing the muffin. "He's here alone almost every day. I can stay with him for at least one of them."

Namine followed his gaze, letting out a breath. "Alright… but, you should at least consider coming home tonight." Riku sighed heavily, and she clarified, "Not to stay at home, just… to pick up some things that might make it easier to stay here."

Riku looked over at her, "What sort of things do you think would make it easier?"

She shrugged, "I don't know… some clothes, blankets, pillows, maybe even some food in case either of you get hungry in the middle of the night."

"I… might be able to set up a bed on the next floor." He pointed out. "At least stay out of the water at night."

Namine smiled, "I would really appreciate that. Give me a piece of mind at the very least."

Riku laughed softly, looking over at her and noticing the exhaustion in her eyes. "Have trouble sleeping?"

She nodded, "Between the tension with Sephiroth and worrying about you here? I didn't get much sleep."

"Sorry," Riku's eyes drifted towards the water.

"It's alright." She assured him. "I'm glad you could be here with Sora." Standing up, she straightened out her dress. "Well, I'm off to the shop. I'll see you tonight?"

Riku looked up at her, nodding. "Yeah, I'll be ready."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sephiroth sighed heavily as he leaned back on the couch. He was home after a tense day at the shop, finally taking in a deep breath to relax. The flames from the fireplace crackled and flickered, the heat radiating into him as he absently watch the sparks float onto the glowing wood. He had half expected Riku to forgo coming into the shop, but he hadn't expected Namine to be distant as well. She wouldn't say it, but he knew she didn't like the situation. Still though, he swallowed his curiosity about Riku and what Namine's true thoughts were and went about his work.

At the end of the day however, just before bed and without anything to busy himself with, the curiosity and uncertainty returned in full force. He wasn't sure what Riku saw in that creature, why he cared and what had happened to end up having it trapped inside their father's lighthouse. Part of him didn't want to know, his brother had always been the one to get caught up in mischief. He grew attached to things and people far too easily. There wasn't an ounce of discernment in him, and he had seen firsthand how often Riku was burned for it.

Riku had taken the disappearance of their parents the hardest. While Sephiroth had lost the most from their disappearance since his life had been just about to take off, Riku lost the most emotionally. It was a shame, really, but Sephiroth could have seen it coming from a mile away.

The rattle of the front door brought him out of his thoughts as he glanced over his shoulder from his spot on the couch, fully expecting Namine to enter the house. He blinked in a rare surprise when the door opened and Riku walked in after her. Despite the surprise, Sephiroth didn't spare a reaction. Instead, he kept his lips pressed thin, his eyes drifting over his siblings before he looked back to the flames.

"Welcome back," he greeted nonchalantly.

Riku let out a breath, sliding his bag to the floor along with his shoes and walking past him towards his room. "I'm not staying. I'm just grabbing a few things."

"By all means." Sephiroth waved behind him. "Let me know if you need any help."

"I've got it, thanks," Riku replied sarcastically.

As he disappeared into his room, Namine came up to the side of the couch, catching Sephiroth's attention as he glanced up at her for a moment, before looking back to the flames. "Is something on your mind?" He asked.

"Are you really alright with Riku staying at the lighthouse?" She asked, her palms pressed together in front of her.

"He's nearly an adult." He pointed out. "He should be allowed to make his own decisions… and allowed to deal with the consequences of them."

Namine hummed, her hands running up her arms. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Should it?" He asked, glancing up at her.

She averted her eyes from his, focusing on the fireplace. "I suppose not. The two of you just seem like strangers to each other." Sephiroth's eyes drifted away as she continued. "Do you remember when we were kids? When Riku found that frog with the missing leg?"

A smirk tipped the corner of Sephiroth's lips, "Yes. He was in tears begging Mother to let him keep it."

"She said no over and over again," Namine recalled with a soft laugh.

"He was devastated," Sephiroth nodded, his fingertips tracing the stitching in the fabric.

"And when he came to us about it," Namine walked forward, sitting on the other side of the couch, "Do you remember what you did?"

Sephiroth let out a breath, "Of course. I fail to see why you feel the need to bring it up."

"You told Riku you'd take care of everything." She continued when he didn't. "You made a little pen in the garden at the shop and convinced Mom to let Riku keep the frog." She giggled, "We still have those types of frogs in the garden, don't we?"

Sephiroth hummed, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I just… don't understand why you've made yourself so distant from him." She sighed, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "You used to always be there for him, ready to stand up for him no matter what. But now… It's like you aren't even brothers."

"I hardly see how it concerns you." He noted.

"It concerns me as part of this family." Namine looked over to him, the slightest bite in her voice as she stood. "The two of you are the only family I have left. It would be nice to see at least one of you making an effort." She turned away, letting out a breath. "I… apologize for my tone. I didn't sleep well last night."

A chuckle rumbled in Sephiroth's chest as he shook his head. "It's alright. I'd much rather hear how you truly feel about things."

Namine hummed, "I'll work on that… Just as long as you work on being a brother again."

Sephiroth didn't reply as Namine left, following Riku into his room to help him pack. With a heavy breath, he leaned back in his seat on the couch, bringing his hand to his face. Being the caretaker to his siblings wasn't the way he expected to spend his young adult life. Moving his hand away, he stared at the flickering flames of the fire, hearing Namine having a similar chat with Riku, with less success as Riku refused to listen. If anyone was going to have to change to effect the relationship positively, Sephiroth supposed it would have to be him.

Sitting up in his seat, he glanced towards the door, seeing Riku's bag along the ground. It was a bag Riku had with his daily when he'd come to the shop after being gone all morning. Maybe there was something inside of it that could help explain things. Sephiroth darted his gaze away at the thought. The last thing he should be doing is snooping through his brother's things when things were already tense. All it would take is one look from Riku and things would be worse off than they were before.

He did have suspicions of what could be inside of it. Particularly something that would allow Riku to teach the creature how to speak English. There was only one other person that Sephiroth knew that could possibly know anything about the creatures. A person that he hadn't seen in years since she left to travel the world. Sephiroth looked to the bag again, letting out a breath. If anyone would be able to help him learn more about the situation, it would be her.

He supposed he had a place to go to tomorrow.


End file.
